Mimi e Coco

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Details

Users say

Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

Paca Lee has already proved that style and comfort
in the hutongs can be fun and cheap with her
Fangjia Hutong pizza bar Ramo. Now the backstreet
restaurateur is trying her hand at an original bar
concept. Ever-thirsty Nick Gollner investigates.

With the arrival of a handful
of swanky new cocktail
bars, one of Beijing’s
best cheap burger bars, new
sandwich shops and fancy Italian
fried food served in bags, 2016 has
been the year of Fangjia Hutong.
The maligned dingy bottle shops
and abandoned construction sites
are a thing of the past; in their place
we find a hutong with personality
and a community invested in
developing it further. Mimi e Coco,
a techno-coloured, Italian-inspired
bar slinging original-recipe bottled
cocktails and simple, satisfying
grub sums up the strides made
in the area and the trajectory of
the neighbourhood.

Developed by a team captained by
chef and owner Paca Lee of Ramo,
the entrance to the new bar is hidden
along a small alley just behind the
pizzeria. A heavy steel door leads to
a Kubrick-ian vestibule decked out
in glazed white tiles, high-polished
chrome and sea-foam green; the
contrast between inside and out is
shocking, and primes you for the
unique experience of the bar itself.

Vaulted ceilings, tropically floral
motifs and soothing shades of green
give the space a vaguely aquatic
vibe, and as we sink into sleek Italian
moulded plastic chairs a shift in time
and space is palpable. The hutong
outside is a world away – we are
somewhere in a disjointed future,
and it’s time to make a drink order.

The hooch comes in bottles, but
not in the same way as a bottle of
Chivas in a Gongti club does. No,
these bottled cocktails are mixed
up daily and bottled in-house. They
include handmade cordials, syrups,
juices and shrubs (a vinegar-based
fruit maceration that imparts a
strong tang atop a fruity base).

A sip of an Arancia Rossa (55RMB)
reveals a pleasantly sweet and
subtly herbal flavour, with the citrus
and sour pineapple shrub balancing
the bitter splash of Campari. It’s
easily our favourite. With a few other
tipples, like The Stranger (60RMB),
strong flavours – in this case
anise, thanks to a hefty portion of
Jagermeister – make it too much to
merit a second round. (Although with
5 percent of The Stranger’s sales
going to the Beijing LGBT Centre, it’s
worth a taste).

Novel as the drinks may be, the
prices are a bit hard to swallow
considering the quality tipples
available at other bars in the area
such as The Tiki Bungalow and Fang.
A selection of craft beers from
Scottish Brewdog and Italian
Baladin, as well as a selection of
house wines (from 38RMB per
glass), give an out for those who
will find the cocktails too sweet – or
too experimental.
Eats are simple and take
advantage of some of Ramo’s
strengths. A Mediterranean dip
platter (35RMB) comes with twists
of freshly baked pizza dough, while
the flatbread sandwiches sport
grilled beef patties or German
sausages and crunchy fries (from
40RMB). It’s booze-cutting chow to
be sure, if a bit crass for such a well-designed
and beautiful space.
Although not without its
shortcomings, Mimi e Coco
continues the impressive strides
food and drink has made in the area.
It’s a worthy addition to the hutong
and well worth a look.